April 25, 2013

I am excited because of the launch of a new clinic, the Chicago Integrative Eczema Center. What makes this clinic so special?

It is the first of its kind – it combines both Western medicine and natural therapies to treat eczema; I’ve never seen these 2 specialties work together in the eczema space before, so I am very happy to hear about this new innovation! It is also co-founded by Dr. Ryan Lombardo and Dr. Peter Lio, who are highly respected dermatologists in this area.

Dr. Lio mentions that he started this clinic because of the fairly limited treatments for eczema in the conventional world. As a result, he studied acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine to see if he could gain a new perspective in this area. As he began to study this, Dr. Lio also became open to other alternative medicines, such as botanicals and the use of food (such as coconut oil, with its antibacterial properties) in helping dermatitis. He felt that acupuncture did some things better than the Western approach. His business partner, Dr. Ryan Lombardo, also specializes in Acupunture and Oriental Medicine.

This new center has 4 main goals: to be a trusted source of information and education about eczema; to be a place for holistic care of eczema, while offering treatments from a Traditional Chinese Medicine approach, a Western approach, and everything in-between; to learn more about eczema; and lastly, to be a place for patient support and connections.  They are also closely allied with the National Eczema Association and their official Chicago Eczema Support Group.

The services they offer will include acupuncture, acupressure, herbs, nutritional supplements and other botanical topical treatments.  They will also be working with nutritionists, allergists, a hypnotherapist, and several other practitioners closely. I look forward to hearing more about it!

To stay in touch with the Center:

Website: http://www.chicagoeczema.com/